


Of Velvet and Coloured Sprinkles

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-06
Updated: 2010-03-06
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor never realized how much they mattered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Velvet and Coloured Sprinkles

The familiar whirl of engines had her up from the sofa and out towards the street without a second thought. It was still quite cool for dusk in the month of May, and a slight chill pervaded the air as she crossed her arms and looked both ways down the street. She was glad she had kept her boots on after all.

Sure enough, her eyes caught the worn blue wooden Police Box sitting on the opposite corner of Bannerman Road, and she smiled. Last week, she had received transmission via Mr. Smith that he was going to visit soon, but per his usual crazy vague answers, she hadn't had the foggiest idea as to when.

It felt rather silly for her to hope that he would appear, today of all days. However, it made her heart jump to see the TARDIS, though he had yet to open the door and appear. She had begun walking casually down the street, only to stop halfway when she saw the door open.

Velvet, dark purple velvet only broken by white frills sent Sarah into an all out run as she went flying down the sidewalk the rest of the way. She thought about calling out for help, but knew better. Instead, as she got closer, she realized that the man that she was accustomed to seeing was in fact the third incarnation of himself. Clutching the side of the TARDIS door, the Doctor with white curls that Sarah hadn't seen since that day in UNIT when he regenerated, narrowly eyed her running towards him before dropping to the sidewalk.

"Doctor!" Sarah scrambled to the ground, reaching for any part of him that she could touch as his body curled inward. "Doctor, can you hear me?"

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you? Come now, Sarah." The Doctor's voice was weaker than Sarah remembered, his eyes tiny as he opened them and reached for her, tracing her jaw line with his finger. "I tried to steer her smoothly, but she wouldn't hear of it."

"She never does. We should get you inside." Sarah pushed her hair behind her ear, a smile growing without any effort at all. This was her Doctor, the one that she had met and traveled with in the beginning. She had begun to help him sit up when she heard a second round of engines whirling at her back, and turned her head to see the materialization process of a second TARDIS.

"There isn't much time," the Doctor said, his smile warm and tender. "Cause I am him, and he is me, and he's going to fix this and send me back. I know I would."

Sarah smiled, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. She held his head close for a moment, and closed her eyes to revel in the feel of his white curls against her cheek. Opening her eyes, she felt the tears form.

"Before all that…Happy Birthday, Sarah. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer."

"It's alright. Thank you."

"No, no, I should be the one thanking you. And I'm sure I will, somewhere along the way." The Doctor smiled as Sarah heard the second set of TARDIS doors open behind her, and their attention shifted. "Thank God. At least it isn't the mushroom head."

"Oi!" The tenth Doctor heard the comment, wearing a blue suit and red trainers. "I'll have you know, it was very fashionable then! Hello, Sarah Jane. I see you've been keeping me company a bit."

"Just a bit. He fell." Sarah looked over, and smiled again. She couldn't help but smile when she looked between doctors. However, the smile faded as she realized her concern for the Doctor outweighed anything else. "Are you alright?"

"None too worse for the wear, it looks like."

"Yes, I suppose we need to get you where you're headed. Make sure that the TARDIS is working properly. Sarah, if you would please help me up. We have work to do," the tenth Doctor said, heading for the first TARDIS. Sarah sighed, helping the third Doctor stand up and wrapping an arm around his middle.

"I've missed you," Sarah said, his arm across her shoulders for support more than anything else. "Just about the time I get used to one of you, you change."

"Only if we're lucky, Sarah. Some of us never change a single thing our entire lives, and look at how much we lose because of it. We could do so much more than let our cells waste away. You'd do well to tell your young son that." The Doctor's steps were rather steady, though the occasional weak step forced Sarah to hold on. She didn't mind. She wanted to ask him about Luke, only to think that it really wasn't the time.

"What's keeping you two? I could have had gone to Sugara Minor and back by now, enjoying the fruits of the Feliwexsparacorius. A minor minor cousin of the Slitheen, really. They've got the most delicious… It's like eating mango! Or maybe pineapple…Hmm..." The tenth Doctor had stuck his head outside the TARDIS, leaning against the doorway. He exchanged smiles with Sarah as he took a step back, allowing her to help him in the TARDIS.

\--

  


The first TARDIS dematerialized not even ten minutes later. The dusk had faded and night had settled in.

"It was nice, to see that you again." Sarah stood next to the tenth Doctor, his arm across her shoulders as they stood at a close distance. She looked up at him. "Even if only for a bit."

"Yeah, well. It's always nice to visit an old friend. I should know." The Doctor's smile was genuine. "Today of all days."

He turned around, taking Sarah with him as they made their way back towards the house. "I could never be who I am today without him. Without any of them. Teeth and Curls. Crazy mushroom like hair…Multi-coloured jacket…Oh, so not a good fashion choice."

"So many of you I haven't met yet."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Sarah Jane. You've probably seen me poking around and not even known it. Like the birthday Harry took you out to dinner in one of the finest restaurants in the city. You were wearing blue," the Doctor recollected the memory easily. "So beautiful, you were that evening. You ended up getting rather properly smashed and danced in the fountain because you thought no one was looking. What about the birthday you were in Africa? Had to be what, eighteen years ago for you? Sitting all alone on a log in front of a single campfire with a single cookie. Everyone had gone to bed, but there you were, staring up at the stars, wondering if you would ever get home."

They had stopped moving, standing on Sarah's front step as the light came on.

"Just how many have you seen, Doctor?" Sarah was curious. She certainly would have remembered seeing the TARDIS.

"Oh, I wouldn't know the exact...Twenty-five, thirty tops." The Doctor stuck out his lip. "Of course, that's including the ones we spent together. You did so love your fifth birthday. Little Sarah Jane Smith, running around with her stuffed dog."

"Never thought you were one for such trivial things." Sarah's voice changed, bordering between amused and concerned.

"Never realized they mattered that much to you before. Well, at least, before I saw them before my eyes," the Doctor sighed. "Now that I've revealed my greatest moment of embarrassment, Sarah Jane Smith, I suppose I should get going. You should go, enjoy the last bit of your birthday with your son."

"How about with my best friend? It's not often I actually get him to visit on the right day." Sarah's hand reached for his, and he was surprised by the gesture. "The kids baked a cake. I'm sure it's at least ninety percent edible thanks to Rani. You could have a piece or two if you like. I know of your fondness of coloured sprinkles."

"I'd like that." The Doctor's grin widened, and they both entered the house. Little did they notice an Edwardian gentleman, his hearts heavy in his chest as he sighed.

"Happy Birthday, Sarah Jane," he whispered.


End file.
